NJCA: Racial and Cultural Empathy (RACE) - Understanding the Impact of Race and Culture when Working with Victims of Child Abuse

Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 10:00 AM - Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 12:30 PM

This activity is designed for those working in social service agencies and school districts to develop and acknowledge ways to improve their ability to engage effectively with those they serve from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.

1. Analyze the intersections of systemic inequality and historical policy to determine their ongoing impact on institutional structures and professional environments.
2. Evaluate the influence of implicit bias and personal positionality on decision-making and interpersonal interactions within diverse community settings.
3. Apply emotional intelligence and radical empathy techniques to facilitate courageous dialogues regarding racial equity and cultural differences.
4. Formulate measurable, trauma-informed strategies to advocate for organizational change and the promotion of dignity and justice in the workplace.

Registration for this activity is through New Jersey Children's Alliance. NJCA staff must be contacted for cancellations. There is no fee to attend this event. Confirmation of registration information will be sent to participants by New Jersey Children's Alliance.  To receive credit and confirmation of attendance, participants must attend all sessions. 

Overview: Participants will gain practical skills to provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed care to diverse populations. Through increased understanding of systemic racism, racial trauma, cultural identity, resilience, and barriers to treatment, participants will strengthen therapeutic engagement, improve assessment and treatment planning, and enhance their ability to deliver equitable, effective behavioral health services.

Target audience: Behavioral health professionals and the multidisciplinary team coordinated to address and prevent child abuse. This live, virtual activity will be held on Zoom and take place over four session dates:

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM EST- R.A.C.E. Session 1- History of Racism in the United States  

Wednesday, October 07, 2026 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM EST- R.A.C.E. Session 2- History of Racism in Mental Health Professions 

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM EST- R.A.C.E. Session 3- Systemic Racism and Cultural Sources of Resilience 

Wednesday, December 09, 2026 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM EST- R.A.C.E. Session 4- Understanding Trauma in the Lives of People of Color 

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and New Jersey Children's Alliance. Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 6.0 social and cultural competency continuing education credits and 4.0 clinical continuing education credits.

Professional Counselors (LAC/LPC): Each course will count for 10.0 recertification credits towards Licensed Associate Counselors and Licensed Professional Counselors as approved by the Certification Board of NJ, Inc. Approval number for this course is #200120926REC10

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT/LMFT): This course will count for 10.0 recertification credits for Marriage and Family Therapists as approved by The Certification Board of NJ, Inc. Approval number for this course is #200120926REC10

Peer Review Statement:
In order to help ensure content objectivity, independence, and fair balance, and to ensure that the content is aligned with the interest of the public, this content has been reviewed by a non-conflicted, qualified reviewer. This activity was peer-reviewed for relevance, accuracy of content and balance of presentation by:  Stephanie Marcello PhD, Laura Burns, LCSW. 

Disclosure: In accordance with the disclosure policies of Rutgers Health and to conform with Joint Accreditation requirements and FDA guidelines, individuals in a position to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose to the activity participants: 1) the existence of any relevant financial relationship with any ineligible company, i.e., a company whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients, within the past 24 months; and 2) the identification of a commercial product/device that is unlabeled for use or an investigational use of a product/device not yet approved.

Faculty: The following faculty have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:  

Denise Williams Johnson, PhD, Susan Esquilin, PhD, and Aida Ismael-Lennon, PsyD

Peer Reviewers: The following peer reviewers have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Stephanie Marcello PhD, Laura Burns, LCSW, Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.

Planners: The following planners have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: 

Laura Burns, LCSW ; Stephanie Marcello, PhD.

Off-Label/Investigational Use Disclosure: This activity does not contain information of commercial products/devices that are unlabeled for use or investigational uses of products not yet approved.

Content Disclaimer: The views expressed in this activity are those of the faculty.  It should not be inferred or assumed that they are expressing the views of any manufacturer of pharmaceuticals or devices, or Rutgers Health.

It should be noted that the recommendations made herein with regard to the use of therapeutic agents, varying disease states, and assessments of risk, are based upon a combination of clinical trials, current guidelines, and the clinical practice experience of the participating presenters. The drug selection and dosage information presented in this activity are believed to be accurate.  However, participants are urged to consult all available data on products or procedures before using them in clinical practice.

Rutgers Health reserves the right to modify the activity content and faculty if necessary.

Copyright © 2026-2027. Rutgers Health.  All rights reserved including translation into other languages.  No part of this activity may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from Rutgers.

       

For questions or concerns regarding this activity, please contact Center for Continuing Education: [email protected]

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For additional program information, grievances, or ADA accommodations, or if you require special arrangements to participate in this activity, please contact New Jersey Children's Alliance at [email protected] by 9/8/2026. 

ASWB ACE Credit (Clinical) (4.00 hours), ASWB ACE Credit (Cultural Competence) (6.00 hours), LPC/LAC: Recertification Credits (10.00 hours), NJDCA-MFT Recertification Credits (10.00 hours), Psychologist: APA CE Credits (10.00 hours)

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

All relevant financial relationships for all individuals in control of content have been mitigated.